China News Service, August 14 According to the website of the General Administration of Customs, the General Administration of Customs issued on the 14th the inspection and quarantine requirements for frozen vannamei shrimp imported from Ecuador.

  The General Administration of Customs has clarified that the imported products involved in frozen vannamei refer to frozen vannamei (scientific name: Penaeus vannamei) and their products that are artificially cultivated for human consumption, and do not include live vannamei.

  In terms of production enterprises, the General Administration of Customs has made it clear that the production enterprises of frozen vannamei shrimp exported from Ecuador to China should be approved by the Ecuadorian authorities and registered in China. Without registration, no export to China is allowed. The list of relevant companies can be found on the website of the General Administration of Customs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies should carry out epidemic prevention and control in accordance with the "New Coronary Pneumonia and Food Safety: Guidelines for Food Companies" formulated and issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Frozen vannamei shrimp safety prevention and control measures ensure that all prevention and control measures from raw materials, processing, packaging, storage, and transportation are implemented effectively to prevent contamination.

  In terms of quarantine approval and certificates, the import of frozen vannamei shrimp from Ecuador should undergo quarantine approval in advance and obtain the "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit." Each batch of frozen vannamei shrimp exported from Ecuador to China should be accompanied by at least one original veterinary (hygiene) certificate issued by the Ecuadorian government, and the certificate should state: (1) The product comes from an enterprise registered by the competent authority. (2) The product is produced, packaged, stored and transported under hygienic conditions and placed under the supervision of the competent authority. (3) The product has been inspected and quarantined by the competent authority, and no pathogenic microorganisms, toxic and harmful substances and foreign bodies specified by China, and diseases listed in China and OIE have been found. (4) The product meets veterinary hygiene requirements and is suitable for human consumption.

  In terms of food safety, frozen vannamei shrimp exported from Ecuador to China should comply with Chinese laws, administrative regulations, and national food safety standards. For products that do not meet Chinese requirements, China may return, destroy or otherwise dispose of related products in accordance with the law. For production enterprises that have serious problems or have repeatedly failed to meet the requirements, China may adopt measures such as strengthening inspection and quarantine, prohibiting imports, and canceling the qualification of production enterprises to register in China.

  In terms of packaging and labeling, frozen vannamei shrimp exported to China should be packaged with brand-new materials that meet international health standards. Chinese labels should be affixed to the packaging, including: product name and scientific name, specifications, production date, batch number, storage conditions, production method (artificial breeding), production area, production company name and number, and destination (marked as the People’s Republic of China) . For frozen vannamei shrimp exported to China in pre-packaged form, the Chinese label of the pre-packaged shall meet the labeling requirements of China's imported pre-packaged food.

  In terms of storage and transportation, the entire process of storage and transportation of frozen vannamei shrimp exported from Ecuador to China should comply with relevant sanitary requirements and traceability requirements, and the normal operation of cold chain control should be ensured.